


Forbidden

by Zoristic



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Forbidden Love, Happy Ending, I Tried, I guess that kind of fits LMAO, I'm Sorry, Imprisonment, Insecurity, M/M, Non-Canonical Character Death, Self-Hatred, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-06-10 17:43:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6966880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoristic/pseuds/Zoristic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Unrequited love did not occur to Leo until now. While love between two men was not unheard of, it was uncommon. Not only that, but they were from rivaling countries. Leo wasn’t even sure if Takumi felt the same, which made him hesitate in his advances.</p><p>How forbidden love could be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forbidden

**Author's Note:**

> This was the outcome of extra credit for my English class that was supposed to be 1) creative fiction and 2) 500-1000 words. Unfortunately for my english teacher, this is none of that. Fortunately for you guys, this is something I'm hoping will satisfy your leokumi thirst.

_Being the prince of a country is hard work,_ Leo thought as he finished writing his report and signed his name on the bottom of the document. Such a title was difficult to uphold, and his obligations as a leader of battle tactics were demanding as well. Many assumed royalty had it easy, yet Leo would give anything to be relieved of his duties for one day. Communing with the townspeople and merchants was all he desired to do. He wanted to know his people—not order them around like dogs.

Early morning sunlight lit the way for him as he walked toward the mailroom to deliver his letter. “Prince Leo!” He turned around to witness his retainers (and the closest thing he could call friends) striding toward him, followed by a man that made Leo’s stomach curl.

“Good morning, Prince Leo,” the man drawled, “beautiful weather, isn’t it?” Leo imagined the man’s long, black hair strangling his half-masked face.

“Get to the point, Iago. I have things to get done,” Leo ordered, crossing his arms.

“Of course. King Garon wishes to meet with you in the throne room,” Iago declared.

“Would you like us to escort you there, milord?” His retainer, Niles, asked. His lewd tone made Leo’s face flush and he turned, hoping to hide his heated face and inner feelings.

“I am perfectly fine by myself,” Leo replied curtly, straightening his back with certainty.

Forgetting about his undelivered letter, Leo walked toward the throne room, feeling Iago watching him the whole time.

 

The air was still as Leo led a small group of soldiers along a well-worn trail to the edge of their country’s territory. As for himself, he was seated upon a black steed, his divine tome, Brynhildr, in hand.

The meeting with King Garon of Nohr, who also happened to be his father, was just for him to intercept a brigade from the country of Hoshido that was moving threateningly close to their country’s borders. The two countries weren’t at war yet, but their relations were tense. It was too much to hope nowadays when he visited his father that he would be acknowledged for his accomplishments. Even Xander and Camilla, his older brother and sister, stopped their occasional visits to his room. When he was younger, it wasn’t unusual for him to be peppered with affection from his family. As he got older, his responsibilities increased as did his expected maturity. With the birth of his half-sister Elise, all the love he ever received migrated over to her, and he was left in the dark.

Leo shook the memories away. Reminiscing upon the past would do him no good. In retrospect, it was his own ingenuity that led him to where he was now. Initially, he believed that if he was intelligent and keen, his family would finally _see_ him for who he was. Such thoughts had ended up backfiring on him. Instead of gaining the attention of his family, it led them to believe he was _too_ capable and didn’t need their help at all. Because of this, he always wished there was someone he could confide his feelings in.

“Halt!” Leo commanded, pulling the reins on his stallion. Tension filled the atmosphere as the wind began to pick up, ruffling Leo’s blonde hair. Beyond the dead moor, he could barely make out the forms of moving people. The group of men stood at the border between the two countries, Nohr and Hoshido. Leo decided it could be the oncoming group’s choice of whether to break the border treaty bound by the two countries.

It felt like hours before the opposing troop trekked their way across the border and stood facing Leo’s squad. He subconsciously noticed how all the soldiers were wearing the same thing, much like the soldiers behind himself. Only one man stood out—his long hair and differing attire the most prominent distinctions. The way he held himself displayed his authority as commander of the soldiers behind him and when he began speaking, Leo was astounded at his brashness.

“Nohrian scum! What do you think you’re doing so close to Hoshido?” Leo felt his irritation rise at this man’s accusations, while not untrue it was _them_ who crossed the border.

Rather than his usual retort, Leo took a deep breath and decided to be the mature adult in this situation. “Nohrian law is blunt on the subject of invaders. Turning back now wouldn’t be unwise of you,” Leo subtly suggested, hoping the other got the message that _they_ were the ones in Nohrian territory.

The other man’s glare only deepened, and Leo smirked.

“How dare you talk to Prince Takumi like that!” A shrill voice broke through the thickening tension, and Leo looked over to see a Hoshidan girl standing beside the supposed prince of Hoshido. She was wearing the clothes of a soldier, and her face contorted into an ugly scowl as she glared at him, eyes resentful.

Prince Takumi muttered a few words to her and she immediately backed down. He smiled at her, but even Leo could see the awkwardness in it and reckoned he didn’t perform the action often. When the Hoshidan Prince turned to face Leo again, the former missed the blush that engulfed the girl’s face—but Leo saw it.

How forbidden love could be.

Without warning, an arrow that seemed to appear out of thin air was suddenly flying dangerously close to Leo’s ear. All the soldiers tensed as they watched Prince Takumi load another arrow. “Shall we begin?”

 

Sweat dripped down Leo’s face as he took out enemy after enemy with Brynhildr. Though his magical tome gave him some leverage in battle, after a while it took its toll on him. Even the young prince of Nohr was not invincible.

“Surrender now, or we will be forced to eliminate you and your men,” Leo ordered, breathing hard from the on-going battle.

“I’m surprised you Nohrians decided to keep us alive this long,” Prince Takumi spat out, his long silver hair tangled and clothes disheveled from combat. “After all, Nohr is known for their cruel and unforgiving way. This isn’t over.” The prince then rounded up his soldiers and headed back to Hoshido, head high despite his loss. Leo watched them leave, praying he never had to face that arrogant man again.

 

Unfortunately, luck never seemed to be on Leo’s side as he faced the man he least wanted to see. It was about a week after the battle, and Leo had all but forgotten about the letter he had meant to send beforehand. Unable to find the courier, he was forced to deliver the letter himself, which put him in the situation he was currently facing.

“Prince Takumi,” Leo said with mild surprise. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“You’re that Nohrian general from before. What brings you here today?” the other asked, hostility lacing his voice.

“Calm, prince of Hoshido. I come on business terms with the lord here.”

Sensing the tension between the two, the lord said aloud, “Ah! So you two have met before? I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, both of you being royalty from the largest countries across the land.”

Hearing this, the prince of Hoshido eyed Leo skeptically. “You? Royalty?”

Leo smirked. “I am Leo, second prince of Nohr. It is nice to finally make acquaintances with you, Prince Takumi.”

 

 Only intending to stay long enough to deliver his letter, Leo forced a smile when asked to stay longer. He didn’t want to remain in the presence of the other prince, yet the way Prince Takumi eyed him almost challengingly made Leo accept his offer. Currently, he was sitting to the side, watching the two compromise over agricultural business. So far, it seemed Prince Takumi had the upper hand.

“You either take the deal, or I’m leaving,” the prince said, crossing his arms over his chest. Despite his forward attitude, the prince proved to be very keen and intelligent.

“Perhaps it would be better if I showed you the ideas I had. I have a plan in my study, so if you wouldn’t mind waiting, I’ll be right back,” the lord suggested, moving toward the door. As soon as he left, an awkward silence enveloped both princes. The Hoshidan prince was the first to break it.

“Such is life, isn’t it? Meeting my arch rival, at a place like this,” Prince Takumi mused, chin in his hand. Leo agreed. He never would’ve imagined seeing the prince of Hoshido somewhere that wasn’t the battlefield.

“Likewise. And I still don’t know why I’m here. I should have left long ago, but instead I’m listening to you two talk about rice,” Leo sighed.

The Hoshidan prince snickered. “I wish I could’ve left a while ago. This lord is giving me a headache!”

“He really is insufferable, isn’t he? It sounds like he’s just trying to win your favor so you agree to whatever ‘plan’ he has for his people.”

Prince Takumi nodded. “Right. I don’t plan on letting him take more of our fertile territory for his stupid rice fields!” The prince looked up, chestnut eyes boring into his own. “That’s also why we were so close to your borders that day. The people here were edging their way closer and closer to our land, so we began investigating along our borders which happen to meet with yours. When I saw you and your troop…I just got so angry, thinking you could have been working in coordination with the people here. It was completely uncalled for, but I felt I had to blame someone. I made a rash decision and for that I am sorry.” The other prince sighed and looked away, too ashamed to look at Leo any longer.

Despite the familial rivalry with the other prince’s nation, Leo couldn’t help but sympathize with Prince Takumi. If that had happened with him, he would’ve done the same thing. Protecting his country and its people were his top priority. Trying to lift the other prince’s mood, Leo looked around for anything to base light conversation on. “Do you read a lot in Hoshido?” the Nohrian prince asked, noticing all the books lining the walls of the room.

The Hoshidan prince eyed him warily, but answered, “In my free time, yes. It’s one of my favorite pastimes.” His eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to deceive me?”

Expecting that question, Leo shook his head earnestly. “For what reason? I just think it would be interesting to learn about the culture of another country.”

“To exploit our weaknesses and attack us at our lowest.”

Leo groaned. “We’re not even at war. Will you calm down about that? Can a man not innocently learn about another’s culture without wanting to attack them?”

“You’re a _prince of Nohr_.”

“Then meet me at the border of our two countries a week from today at midnight. I shall prove you wrong there.” Leo then got up to leave and excused himself as he passed by the lord of the manor, walking out into the open as the first drops of rain began falling.

 

The rain was torrential and lasted for days. Not much was accomplished during those days as Leo couldn’t go out without getting soaked to the bone. Instead, he stayed inside and wrote reports, studied battle tactics, and contemplated what to say to Prince Takumi.

Thursday approached faster than Leo expected and he couldn’t deny it: he was nervous. Perhaps he was overthinking things. Taking a deep breath, Leo trudged forward into the night. The grass was still wet from the previous downpour and it seeped into his shoes like venom. He knew everything about this meeting was wrong, yet he couldn’t stop himself from asking. Something had overtaken him and spouted those words before he could even register what he said himself.

As he reached the border, self-doubt seized him and he internally wondered if Prince Takumi would even come, probably thinking his invite was an underlying ambush. However, his doubts were quelled as he noticed the other prince walking toward him. Leo involuntarily smiled, but his heartbeat did not relax despite seeing the prince approach. In fact, it increased with every step the rival prince took, but not from fear either.

“I didn’t think you would come,” Leo said softly once the other was close enough.

The Hoshidan prince nodded. “I was thinking about it—not coming I mean.” He shook his head. “There’s something about you, Prince Leo,” and the way he said Leo’s name gave him goosebumps, “that intrigues me. I’ve been told of a Nohrian prince similar to me. I wanted to see if these assumptions were true myself.” His eyes glimmered almost curiously and Leo marveled at how bright they looked in the darkness that concealed them.

“I appreciate you coming,” Leo said sincerely. “If you wish, I will answer any questions regarding such assumptions.”

Prince Takumi looked thoughtful a moment before saying, “What’s your favorite food?”

Leo smirked. “Such a simple question,” but at the other prince’s glare, he continued. “Beef stew.”

“Hmm, I suppose stew is similar to soup. My favorite food is miso soup.” He paused. “You mentioned reading last we met. What kinds of books do you read?”

“Anything really. Mostly history though.”

Prince Takumi’s eyes widened. “I also enjoy reading about history. Learning about past battles and the strategies they used is so fascinating!”

The smile on the prince’s face was so exuberant, Leo couldn’t help but smile too. “I didn’t think we’d have such similar tastes,” he mused. “Do you have any other hobbies?”

“I enjoy playing this game called shogi,” the Hoshidan prince said. “You move small wooden pieces on a board, but it requires real strategy to win!”

“Interesting. This “show-gee” game sounds exactly like a game I play in Nohr called chess.” If anyone had told him a couple of weeks ago that he’d get along this well with their rival country’s prince, he would have denied such claims and scoffed, “We are nothing alike.” Even now, it was hard to imagine that he was agreeing with the prince of Hoshido.

Hours passed as they talked about everything, yet nothing at all. As the sun rose to signal the start of a new day, they decided to retreat back to their respective kingdoms.

“We should do this again, Prince Takumi,” Leo said.

“Yes, and I think we have established by now that we’re friends. Formalities aren’t needed. Takumi is fine.” An unreadable expression crossed over the other prince’s face, but only for a second. “Learning about your culture has proved quite fascinating. Nohr sounds like Hoshido’s complete opposite, yet we seem so similar.”

“For sure. Perhaps this mutual friendship could help bring Hoshido and Nohr past their differences,” Leo proposed, looking hesitantly at Takumi.

“Definitely,” Takumi said and smiled, making Leo’s stomach flop. “Should we meet again at the same time next week?”

Leo had to bite back the words that threatened to spill past his closed mouth. _No, I want to see you sooner._ “Yes.”

Then they departed, and Leo turned to watch Takumi leave. The Hoshidan’s long hair shone bright in the small light, and Leo was blinded to anything else. Takumi looked back and gave Leo a small smile, but from a distance it almost looked sad.

 

Their meetings became more frequent as they became more comfortable with each other. Before long, people started suspecting things and would indiscreetly ask where he was going. Of course, Leo made sure to never reveal such a thing.

“Off to train,” Leo said for the hundredth time that month, too eager to see Takumi again to pay much attention to who was asking.

“Don’t you seem a bit _too_ enthusiastic, milord?” Niles asked, following behind Leo who didn’t seem to notice his stalker.

“What makes you say that?” Leo asked absently, trying to remember in the letter Takumi sent where to meet.

“This is the seventh time this month you’ve been excited about standing in a field to read a _book_.” Niles stopped in front of Leo and the Nohrian prince startled, glowering at Niles. The eyepatch covering his retainer’s right eye stood out like a sore thumb, but Leo only saw the disapproval in his blue eye.

“That _book_ is called Brynhildr, and has saved your behind more times than you’ve saved mine, my dear retainer,” Leo said, step-siding the man, “now if you’ll excuse me.” His heart pounded in his chest at the prospect of being able to see the exquisite long hair, and earth-brown eyes that captivated him so much—not even noticing his suspicious retainer following behind him.

 

Birds sang in the canopy as Leo sat under the shade of a tree. This time he had brought books from Nohr to lend Takumi. The latter lent him books from Hoshido, and he finished them just in time for their meeting.

As he waited, he reflected on all the time he had spent with Takumi this past month. If his father found out, Leo would never live to see another day and he shuddered at the thought. Despite the consequences, he wouldn’t stop seeing the prince of Hoshido if his life depended on it. He felt like he could finally relate to someone in the same position as him. With Takumi, he didn’t feel like the second prince of Nohr. He felt like Leo.

“Leo,” a voice breathed. Breaking out of his reverie, Leo smiled seeing the Hoshidan Prince. He patted a spot next to him and Takumi graciously sat down. It had all gone quiet now. The birds had stopped singing.

“I'm glad you could make it,” Takumi said elatedly, though his eyes betrayed his words. Bags graced beneath his eyes and his hair was tangled into knots. Soft fingers caressed the corner of Takumi’s eye and asked if he was okay. “Just a little tired,” Takumi whispered. Leo could tell there was something more, but decided not to press for now.

“Here are the books you lent me. Hoshido’s history is quite fascinating,” Leo said, handing Takumi the books, “I brought some books from Nohr, and hope you find them as interesting as I did yours.”

Takumi smiled, and was about to take them when an arrow whizzed by, barely missing his hand. It stuck in the tree between them, making both of them freeze and turn wide-eyed in the direction of the shot. Another arrow was notched in the man’s bow and Leo’s breath hitched, but only because this time it was aimed at Takumi.

“Lord Leo,” Niles said calmly, though his tone was one he used before killing: low and deadly. “What is this Hoshidan _dog_ doing in Nohr?”

“Niles, lower your bow,” Leo ordered, forcing down the dread that filled his lungs and threatened to choke him.

“I’m only doing my job: saving your behind,” Niles said innocently, and Leo was reminded of the words he said to Niles before seeing Takumi and swallowed the bile rising in his throat. The latter was standing beside Leo still as a stone, the color drained from his face and lips thin. With his tired eyes and ashen face, Takumi looked 20 years older and Leo never felt more compelled to defend his friend. The incentive firm in his mind, Leo stepped in front of Takumi as to protect him, and he watched Niles’ one eye narrow. “Milord…what are you doing?” Niles asked quietly, and Leo saw his arm tremble.

Choosing his words carefully, Leo said aloofly, “We are not at war with Hoshido, however, killing such an important figure from Hoshido would instantly start a war. Now, lay your bow down, or I really will kill you just as I had intended the first time we met.”

At that, Niles let out a short laugh, but lowered his bow nevertheless. “Over a Hoshidan? I am your retainer, and it is my duty to serve you, Lord Leo. But I am also supposed to protect you. I am feeling quite conflicted right now.”

“Then forget you ever saw this, and I will disregard the fact that you followed and back-talked me. Now leave,” Leo said coldly. As he watched Niles slink away, the prince sighed and turned toward Takumi. Generally, the prince of Hoshido was an open book, but Leo wondered if he’d ever be able to uncover anything under the prince’s unreadable façade.

 

 _Leo, I want you to lead an attack on Hoshido,_ the words still rang in Leo’s head as he led a troop of soldiers toward a fort in the rival country. _Kill as many as needed to capture Fort Jinya. I will not tolerate loss._

Vivid scenes of the meeting with King Garon played in his mind. Beside him, Iago had been standing and holding Niles hostage. Iago had tried getting information about Leo’s constant disappearances out of him, and despite Leo’s icy attitude toward him, his retainer had stayed loyal toward him to the end. He remembered Niles smiling at him sadly, and the last, silent and unspoken words between them. _I’m sorry._

The pain and grief of losing one of his retainers still hung heavy over him as if he was stuck in quicksand and couldn’t escape. However, they continued on toward the fort and Leo ordered the troops to form a “U” formation around the perimeter. Though his thoughts and movements were sluggish, he pushed onward, knowing he couldn’t lose control now. “There’ll only be one opening for them to escape from, and that’ll be where our main force will take them out. While that’s happening, continue moving in till they’re enclosed and forced to surrender lest they all want to be killed.”

As the Hoshidans realized they were surrounded, panic spread throughout the fort and fighting began to break out. Too soon, more reinforcements began appearing, and Leo felt his blood run cold seeing a certain long-haired individual leading his own troop of soldiers. Suddenly, an agonizing pain enveloped his right shoulder. Cursing at his ignorance, he turned and tried to attack with Bryhildr, but was overtaken by all the soldiers attacking him. With the pain from being attacked and his will to fight gone, the last thing he saw before going unconscious was bright green light and hair the color of light.

 

Moonlight filtered through a small opening high above, and Leo held his head groggily, wondering where he was. Everything that happened hit him like a ton of bricks and his head pounded trying to remember. His shoulder pulsed with pain and he noticed he had been stripped of his armor, including Brynhildr. Bandages were wrapped around his shoulder, but bruises and other cuts littered the rest of his body. Exhaustion sapped him of strength, but he managed to stand and walk around the tiny cell. From his observations, Leo concluded he had been taken captive by Hoshido and was now being kept in their prison chambers.

He sighed and sat on the cold ground. So much was going through his mind, but fatigue clouded his mind and made his eyelids flutter shut as sleep overtook him.

 

A loud clatter woke Leo and the prince sat up to a tray of cornmeal. “Better than nothing, I suppose,” he muttered and wolfed down the sad meal. Carefully, Leo unwrapped the dressings around his shoulder and cringed at the sight that met him. Some water was left with his food and he cleaned his wound as best as he could, wincing at the touch.

Out of nowhere, a loud noise sounded and jostled Leo from his washing. Creaks and groans that seemed to come from the door caused Leo to turn toward the noise, and he was surprised at the sight that met him. Before him stood Takumi, dressed in loose clothes. Slung over his shoulder was a bag and a bow—that he had learned was a divine weapon called Fujin yumi (Leo couldn’t say it right and always pronounced it “you-me”)—over his other.

“Takumi?” Leo’s voice came out hoarse and he swallowed. “Why are you here?” Though his voice was stronger, it couldn’t conceal his anguish. Leo looked down, not wanting to see the pitiful look in Takumi’s eyes.

“Leo.” Surprisingly, Takumi’s voice didn’t sound pitiful in any way, rather strained. When he looked up, his eyes widened seeing the self-hatred and pain within Takumi’s eyes. Takumi sat down in front of Leo’s cell, bringing his bag in front of him. “I can’t imagine they’d feed you anything appetizing here, so I grabbed some extra food from dinner.” Rolls—and was that a tomato? —were passed through the bars, and Leo took them gratefully, their fingers brushing lightly.

“How did you know I liked tomatoes?”

“You told me.”

At Leo’s devouring of the food, Takumi chuckled. The jocund sound calmed Leo’s nerves and his lips rose in a smile. Being able to talk with Takumi, albeit trapped in a cell, made him forget about the situation and his anxieties accompanying it. Of course, his worries were never far from his mind, always eating away at his reassurances that help would come. However, at the moment, he didn’t care if help ever came at all.

Earthen eyes made their way to Leo’s shoulder, and the Nohrian prince lowered his head, dark eyes downcast. His shoulder throbbed. “It’s not that bad,” Leo said quietly. “It doesn’t hurt.”

The Hoshidan prince’s gaze shot to his and he stared at Leo adamantly. “Stop trying to be so strong all time,” Takumi whispered. “It’s okay to concede sometimes.”

His hand reached out to stroke Leo’s face through the bars dividing them, and Leo placed his hand atop the one against his cheek. Light and gentle eyes gazed into dark, and broken ones. Smiling, Takumi nodded at him, and Leo felt the barrier that had protected him since he was young crack.

As his tears fell to the grimy, prison floor, he was aware of the circles Takumi was rubbing on the back of his hand.

Leo never felt more exposed in his life.

 

All the time Leo had to himself left him with only his thoughts for a companion. However, they weren’t the ugly, contorted ideas that had implanted themselves in his mind before. Rather, thoughts that constantly plagued his mind and had him second guessing his feelings. Many times, Leo would catch himself staring at the other prince as they read or played shogi. Watched his breath leave his mouth, watched his hands fidget, watched as his eyes flit up to Leo’s and the warm, welcome embrace they brought with them.

Unrequited love did not occur to Leo until now. While love between two men was not unheard of, it was uncommon. Not only that, but they were from rivaling countries. Leo wasn’t even sure if Takumi felt the same, which made him hesitate in his advances.

How forbidden love could be.

 

Time continued, but Leo didn’t know how many days had passed since first being captured. After 44 days, Leo had stopped counting. He figured war between Hoshido and Nohr had broken out by now, though his moral and feelings on the subject conflicted with each other. Although Takumi’s visits made his stay tolerable. During that first fateful visit, Leo confessed all of the self-doubts he had kept hidden since he was little. Much later, Takumi confided his own insecurities, but Leo was there for him. Their mental wounds healed, as well as their physical wounds. They were both there for each other, and as time went on, they helped each other get through their insecure thoughts.

Of course, being at war called the prince of Hoshido to fight. There was never a time Leo didn’t worry for the Hoshidan prince, but before he left, Takumi would always promise to return. His injuries constantly worried Leo, and on one occasion, the imprisoned prince didn’t see him for days. But he always returned, and Leo could breathe again when he saw Takumi’s long hair and chestnut eyes.

One day while Leo was sleeping, the door to his cell opened, revealing Takumi and the rest of the Hoshidan nobles. Terror seized his heart, wondering if Nohr had lost the war and he was going to be executed. Upon glancing up at Takumi and seeing the delight in his eyes, Leo let out a deep breath. A large man with dark, long hair much like Takumi’s stepped forward.

“Prince Leo of Nohr,” the man said, “I am the crown pri—king of Hoshido, Ryoma.” At his stumble, Takumi nudged him, eyes playful. Ryoma looked away, embarrassed, but continued, “The war between Hoshido and Nohr has ended. You are not a prisoner of Hoshido anymore.” Leo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He tried to deduce the end of the war, but couldn’t come to any conclusions between Hoshido releasing him and the happy gaze in all of their eyes.

Leo stood slowly, legs wobbly from not being used in a while. The gate to his cell opened and Takumi stepped in, as if embracing Leo’s harsh life of containment. His smile seemed to light up the whole prison, and it wasn’t the awkward, almost forced smile he had witnessed before. It was genuine. They met halfway, and this time, Takumi embraced Leo, arms wrapped around his thin frame. He clung to Takumi like his life depended on it, because for the span of half a year, it had.

No longer was their love forbidden; it was free.

**Author's Note:**

> Talk to me about Leokumi or literally anything: [twitter](https://twitter.com/Zoristic)


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